OTP - Sabres Get Hit By Injury Bug The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center in preparation for their home opener against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and had a full complement participating, including wingers JJ Peterka and Zach Benson. Peterka left in the first period of a 3-1 loss to New Jersey on Saturday after receiving a high hit from Devils defenseman Brendan Dillon, but after skating on Tuesday, the 22-year-old took part in drills with linemates Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Benson, who sat for the second game after fighting through a lower-body injury in the season opener, said that it was something that he had tweaked in the days leading up to the season, but that he is improving. "I feel better today for sure, (it) felt good skating," Benson said. The Sabres hedged their bets regarding both players returning on Thursday, as veteran Jason Zucker took Peterka’s spot on the top power play, and rookie Jiri Kulich also took line rushes. With Nicolas Aube-Kubel out for three-to-six weeks, Peyton Krebs returned to his spot on the fourth line, centering between Beck Malenstyn and Sam Lafferty. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5MjU5NzgzNDExMjE0MTgw/subscribe2024-front-banner.jpg] LATEST THN BUFFALO STORIES Sabres Exiting Europe With Two L’s And A Trio Of Injuries [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-exiting-europe-with-two-ls-and-a-trio-of-injuries] Sabres Playoff Chances Rest On Scorers Bouncing Back [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-playoff-chances-rest-on-scorers-bouncing-back] Sabres Say They Are Ready For Accountability [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-say-they-are-ready-to-be-held-accountable] Follow Michael on X @MikeInBuffalo [https://twitter.com/MikeInBuffalo]
